I have really enjoyed both of Andrew Wilson's book with mystery writer, Agatha Christie, as the main character. Months after the horrible events of Agatha's disappearance and run in with Dr. Kurs, Mrs. Christie is headed to the Island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. With her friend Carlo and daughter Rosalind in tow, she heads off for some much needed rest and recuperation. But is that the only reason she's going? What dastardly scheme will she uncover? I love how the author takes vague, but real facts about Agatha Christie's life and "fills in" the rest of the details for us. How fun and I can't wait to see where Agatha heads next!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

This was a hard read for me to get into. I did not read the first book so it was harder to keep the story straight. It also did not have much of a plot, and it had a weak reveal. Overall, it was an interesting premise, but not well executed.

This was an interesting take on a story about Agatha Christie. I had trouble enjoying this book, mostly because I had trouble enjoying the Agatha Christie books. It was well written but the story just did not trap my imagination. It is definitely good for fans of cozy mysteries.

Following the death of her mother, the collapse of her marriage to Archie Christie, and her sensational disappearance for two weeks, Agatha Christie is now on a trip to Tenerife, officially for rest and recovery, and to finish her latest book. The Mystery of the Blue Train.

Unofficially, she is travelling at the behest of British Special Agent Davison, to investigate the death of another intelligence officer, Douglas Greene. Greene was found dead in a cave, drained of his blood and partially mummified. She is not to take any risks. She is only gathering information. Davison will also be there, under an assumed name.

What could possibly go wrong?

Things start going wrong while she's still on the ship carrying her there. A young woman, apparently the wife of another passenger, flees from her husband's mistress, goes to the stern of the liner, and leaps over the side, while Agatha and the husband's mistress, sculptor Helen Harte, watch, unable to stop her. Less catastrophically, there are also two absolute bores among the passengers, a woman who can't stop talking about her experiences on the Titanic, and a man who is going to revolutionize literature by writing down every single thing he sees and hears.

Once in Tenerife, she soon encounters George Grenville, an rather sinister-seeming occultist along the lines of Aleister Crowley; his very subdued daughter, Violet; Violet's beloved, but unfortunately dying of tuberculosis, Edward Ffosse; and other hotel guests and local English residents.

She also discovers that no one and nothing is as it seems, starting with Davison, who has his own huge secret connected to Douglas Greene. Her knowledge of poisons becomes highly relevant, when tiresome would-be literary giant Howard Winniatt is found dead. Grenville has extensive garden of poisonous plants, and library well-stocked with tomes on the subject, and...there's something about Winniatt's death that is disturbingly similar to the suicide of Gina Trevalyan, on the ship to Tenerife.

As she struggles to put together all the facts, and figure out what vital clues she's overlooking, her fellow guests on the island seem stranger and stranger--and she herself becomes both a target and a suspect.

It's nicely intriguing, and this is a "playing fair" mystery, where the reader does have all the clues.

An enjoyable read. Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and I am reviewing it voluntarily.

A cosy-type mystery that blends real events regarding the Queen of Crime with those of an imaginative modern pen.

In A Different Kind of Evil (Agatha Christie, #2) Mr Wilson once again channels the essence of vintage detective fiction to create a sequel filled with suspense and bizarrely creative details that you can't help but think about the next day or recall the different types of red drops of clues that then leads to the final page. Beginning exactly where we left off in A Talent for Murder (Agatha Christie, #1), we follow the voice of the Queen of Crime as we are taken to exotic locales and presented with a room and island filled with suspects that may or may not have something to hide. Although not a stand-alone novel by any means (as many references are made to A Talent to Murder and the timeline of unfortunate tragic events are repeated quite a few times), the lack of 1920's slang (or noticeable Americanisms throughout this British murder mystery) could easily confuse the reader or have them think this novel is set in modern times and the ending is a tad over the top, still A Different Kind of Evil (Agatha Christie, #2) may hold a twist or three even for the most seasoned armchair sleuth and is one channeling story to reach for if you wish to give your little grey cells a decent workout.

*With thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books who kindly sent me an advanced reader copy of A Different Kind of Evil (Agatha Christie, #2)

I've always been a huge fan of Agatha Christie, so when I was given the opportunity to read A Different Kind of Evil, I immediately agreed. I was very intrigued by the idea of reading a murder mystery written about the Queen of Mystery herself! This novel is the second in a series, and although I would have loved to have read the first book in the series, I didn't find that I was missing much necessary information.

The reader follows along as Agatha, her daughter, and her nanny travel to the Canary Islands in order to assist in solving a murder. While aboard the cruise ship to her destination, Agatha witnesses a suicide and begins to slowly meet each of the characters who play vital roles in her time on the Canary Islands.

I truly loved this novel and enjoyed the different characters who each had so much to add to the story. The writing was fun and fast paced, and with each turn of the page, a little more of the mystery was unraveled. I kept thinking I knew how it would end but with every page came a new clue or a new suspicion. I would highly recommend this novel to readers who love crime and suspense novels! It was such a fun read and I look forward to more from Wilson! Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for offering this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 4/5

A Different Kind of Evil
Agatha Christie Series #2
Andrew Wilson
Atria, March 2018
ISBN 978-1-5011-4509-4
Hardcover

From the publisher—

Two months after the events of A Talent for Murder, during which Agatha Christie “disappeared,” the famed mystery writer’s remarkable talent for detection has captured the attention of British Special Agent Davison.

Now, at his behest, she is traveling to the beautiful Canary Islands to investigate the strange and gruesome death of Douglas Greene, an agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service. As she embarks on a glamorous cruise ship to her destination, she suddenly hears a scream. Rushing over to the stern of the liner, she witnesses a woman fling herself over the side of the ship to her death.

After this shocking experience, she makes it to the Grand Hotel in a lush valley on the islands. There, she meets a diverse and fascinating cast of characters, including two men who are suspected to be involved in the murder of Douglas Greene: an occultist similar to Aleister Crowley; and the secretary to a prominent scholar, who may also be a Communist spy. But Agatha soon realizes that nothing is what it seems here and she is surprised to learn that the apparent suicide of the young woman on the ocean liner is related to the murder of Douglas Greene. Now she has to unmask a different kind of evil in this sinister and thrilling mystery.

In a combination of derring do, political shenanigans and possible espionage, Agatha Christie sets out to do the bidding of John Davison, British Secret Intelligence Service, who needs her help discovering who killed one of his agents in Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. With a plethora of suspects and motives, she has her work cut out for her but Agatha has the kind of puzzle-solving mind that’s well-suited for such a task.

The case begins before the cruise liner even gets to its destination when a woman throws herself overboard but, of course, Agatha has no way of knowing then that there might be a connection to the agent’s murder. On the island, she meets quite the diverse set of characters but is one of them her quarry? And why was the agent, Douglas Greene, murdered, not to mention a few other poor souls?

Bits and pieces of this story remind me of one of Christie’s own novels, A Caribbean Mystery featuring Miss Marple, and that gave me quite a lot of pleasure as it’s one of my favorites of her work. Granted, it’s really far-fetched to think the Secret Service would send a mystery author to solve an agent’s murder but this is one of those stories that requires a healthy suspension of disbelief and the result is a good deal of fun.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, March 2018.

When I was first contacted about participating in the tour for this book, I couldn’t have been more excited. A mystery series featuring Agatha Christie?! UM YES PLEASE!

1927, the Canary Islands. The deadline for The Mystery of the Blue Train is rapidly approaching, headlines back home in England are abuzz with her mysterious 11-day disappearance, and her husband has recently taken up with another woman. Agatha Christie needs to get away. Unfortunately, her novels seem to have a way of playing out in real life: not only has she just witnessed a desperate young woman jump off a ship into the treacherous waters below, but she herself stumbled upon a second body. As Agatha digs deeper into the two deaths, she begins to believe the two are linked – but how?

I’ll admit that while I was looking forward to diving into this one – it seemed practically written for me! – once I started reading, I was a bit underwhelmed. Now, I’m the kind of reader that doesn’t feel the need to start with the first book in a series: my introduction to Rhys Bowen’s delightful Molly Murphy series was the 17th book, while I began the Aunt Dimity series with the 20th installment! Going into A Different Kind of Evil, I wasn’t concerned at all, it’s only the second book, what could I possibly be missing? …as it turns out, quite a bit. This sequel takes place a mere two months after the events of the first book and calls back to it more often than not. To the point where I had a hard time following the story. I had to set it aside more than once and nearly set it down for good. It wasn’t until well into the second half of the book that I really got my bearings and became invested in the mystery.

The cast of characters was great. Agatha, her nanny, her young daughter. The handsome widow of the young woman who jumped off the ship (and the illicit affair going on between him and the woman’s best friend), the local inspector, a sketchy doctor. One character in particular was especially devious: not only was he an occultist, but he also kept a garden of poison plants – and was possibly carrying on an intimate relationship with his own daughter?? With the exception of the incest storyline, these personalities were all ones familiar to readers of cozy mysteries and I enjoyed getting to know each one.

I was thinking about this book one night before bed and realized that, while I love books about Jane Austen novels and characters and retellings, I’ve never actually read an original and honestly have no interest. The opposite might hold true for Agatha Christie. If you know me, you know I’m absolutely obsessed with all things Poirot. Years ago I actually did a History 101 post about Agatha’s 11-day disappearance! Unfortunately, I’m wondering if retellings and spin offs simply can’t cut it: back in January I was thrilled to receive an anthology of early crime stories written by woman…sadly, In the Shadow of Agatha Christie turned out to be an DNF. While I wouldn’t neccesarily say A Different Kind of Evil is on that level – or bad at all! – it never captivated me as I had hoped it would and I do feel like I missed out on a good portion of the novel by not having read the first. I’m still intrigued by the premise and I can’t say no to Agatha, so perhaps one day I’ll try again, this time beginning with book one.

Agatha Christie is taking a trip to a tropical island to recuperate from her last excursion and to help her get over her pending divorce. When someone in secret service asks her to look into the death of man stationed there, she agrees. She doesn't realize how convoluted and confused the truth will be on this island...

Atria Books and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It is being published today.

The first thing that happens is there is a suicide on board the ship and she witnesses it. That's not helping her stress level. Especially since the woman who was trying to stop her suicide tells her she was sleeping with her husband and it's all her fault. It sounds way too familiar.

While this author has set the time period in the era of Ms. Christie, he has surrounded her with deeper crimes and atrocities than she normally used in her books. It took a bit to get into the story but then his words gripped me and I was anxious to see how it would end.

Despite her attempts to determine the murderer, she even gets to spend a night in jail! Her mind is still good even if her emotional health isn't and she eventually works out what happened.

It's a bit strange to read about her as character in the story but it carries her spirit and the author has a good way with words. I enjoyed it. Why don't you try it?

It is now 1927 and Agatha Christie is on her way to the Canary Islands ostensibly to have a holiday, but on an assignment from the Secret Intelligence Service to investigate the death of one of their agents, Douglas Greene. But not is all rest as a suicide on the outgoing ship disturbs her peace.
An enjoyable mystery, well-written, though Christie does seem a bit naive to think that any theories she has about events should automatically be believed by the police

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of this book for an honest review. In Andrew Wilson’s previous novel, A Talent for Murder, Agatha Christie came to the attention of Special Agent John Davison. Now a fellow agent and friend has been murdered and Davison has asked Christie to help him find the murderer. The body of Douglas Greene was discovered in a cave in Tenerife. On the voyage to the island Christie witnesses the suicide of a stowaway, which makes her an attractive dinner guest to Curious passengers.

A survivor from the Titanic, an author and his wife, the husband of the stowaway and his present lover are all staying at the same hotel as Christie, but it is Gerard Grenville who catches her attention. Grenville is a resident of the island and has a sinister reputation. Rumors abound concerning bizarre behavior and he becomes Christie’s Prime Suspect.

Evil comes in many shapes and when additional murders occur Christie must use caution if she is to discover connections that will lead her to the murderer. Wilson provides a number of unexpected twists, including a possible connection between the suicide and the murders. Christie’s investigation will have you anxiously looking forward to further entries in this series.

(3.5 stars) As soon as I read that the "investigator" in this book was no other than Agatha Christie I had to read it ! It takes place in the 1920s and revolves around actual facts about Agatha Christie, I thought that was a super interesting touch to the novel. However, the actual story isn't that captivating. I did enjoy this book, but it wasn't a page turner, and for about 70% of the book I felt like it was quite repetitive. The ending was surprising though! Hopefully, the next book is a bit more high paced.

I just could NOT get into this series... I was immediately intrigued when I saw this title - even though it was the second in a series, and I knew that meant I'd have to read the first in order to move onto this one. I recently read a thoroughly enjoyable novel about Dame Agatha's mysterious disappearance and really enjoyed it. As a long-time reader of her novels, I was very curious to see where this author took his unique and somewhat disturbing premise, and how the Great Lady might play into, around, and through the hands of her erstwhile blackmailer.

I started the first book (A Talent for Murder) and could not believe how dramatically I was disappointed... I just could NOT get into it. I don't know if it's just not the book for me now or what, but I just couldn't get into the story... It felt forced somehow, and the characters didn't appeal at all or feel very sympathetic - even the Agatha Christie herself felt mealy somehow, and less alive to me then in other accounts of her and her missing days. Despite my interest in Agatha Christie, historical fiction, and literary Unsolved Mysteries, I simply couldn't get into it and after about 50 pages of back and back-and-forth, setting it down and picking it back up again, I finally gave up on it.

But I had still committed to taking a look at this second installment, and since I know that it can sometimes take an author time to fall into his/her voice, I was willing to give it a go. Unfortunately, I felt the same way about this book and after about 50 pages I once again found myself in the unhappy position of feeling utterly unmotivated to continue... I'm afraid this just is not a series for me.